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Prompt: Describe how your experiences, both professional
and personal, have led to your decision to pursue an MBA at
the Wharton school this year. How does this decision relate
to your career goals for the future?]
Throughout my life I have observed two distinct career paths,
my father’s and my uncle’s. My father completed
his engineering degree and secured a government job in India,
which he continues to hold to this day. My uncle’s path
began similarly; like my father, he earned an engineering
degree. My uncle, on the other hand, continued his education
by moving to the United States to earn an MBA, then started
his own venture and became a successful businessman in Los
Angeles. Evaluating their experiences helped me understand
what I wanted from my life and create a ‘master plan’
for my career. While I appreciate the excitement, flexibility,
and independence my uncle has in his life, I value my father’s
proximity to his family and culture. I now realize that a
career as an entrepreneur in India could provide me with the
“best of both worlds.”
With the objective of learning about business, I completed
my bachelor’s degree in Commerce and joined KPMG in the
Audit & Business Advisory Department. I believed that
a career with an accounting firm would serve me in two ways:
first, by enhancing my knowledge of accounting -- the language
of business -- and second, by providing me with an excellent
introduction to the business world. My decision seemed to
be a sound one; in my first two years at KPMG, I worked on
a wide variety of assignments that not only strengthened my
analytical and problem-solving skills, but also taught me
how large businesses managed their sourcing, manufacturing,
and distribution functions. After enjoying this productive
and educational experience for two years, I decided I wanted
greater opportunities than what the audit department could
offer.
Thus, when the Management Assurance Services (MAS) practice
was established in India, the challenge of working in a new
service line and the opportunity to help improve the risk
management mechanisms of businesses influenced me to join
it. In the last three years, I have improved risk management
capabilities of clients by addressing strategic, enterprise
and operational risk issues. I have also assisted the MAS
practice in tailoring our international portfolio of services
to the Indian marketplace by conducting risk management surveys,
interacting with professionals in other developing economies,
and conducting interviews with senior client management. Besides
becoming skilled at process risk consulting, I have also significantly
improved my project management and ‘new service’
development abilities in the last three years.
During my tenure with the MAS department, I have encountered
challenges that have motivated me to seek a management degree.
For example, last year, we conducted a process risk review
for a cash-starved Indian auto ancillary that had expanded
capacity without assessing sources of competitive advantage.
It was clear that the company needed to rethink its business
and operational strategy. Since the MAS department lacked
the necessary skills to execute the project, we hired consultants
to assist us in the assignment. Their approach of reviewing
both the strategic and operational aspects of the business
was an eye-opener for me. The pair of consultants used their
knowledge of international business and macroeconomics to
evaluate key industry trends and identify new markets for
the company. In addition, they employed their understanding
of supply chain management to benchmark key capabilities with
competition and identify opportunities for improvement. As
I witnessed the progress made by these two consultants, I
realized that in order to achieve my long-term professional
goals, I needed to return to school to expand my understanding
of the fundamentals of corporate and industry analysis.
I also believe that management education can help me develop
other vital skills essential to my standing as a professional.
For example, I will benefit from the opportunity to further
polish my public speaking ability and hone my skills as a
negotiator. Also, I have had limited experience working outside
India, and I feel that an international education will equip
me with the skills necessary to deal with foreign suppliers
and customers.
After graduating from Wharton, I will seek a position in
a strategy consulting firm in its business building/growth
practice. In addition to providing me with an opportunity
to apply what I have learned, a position in the ‘growth
practice’ will expose me to the practical issues of new
business creation. Three to five years after earning an MBA,
I would expect to establish my own business venture. In the
short-term, however, I may explore exciting business ideas
and examine ways to build a sustainable business with the
help of the Wharton Venture Initiation Program.
The ideal education for me includes the Wharton Entrepreneurship
and Strategic Management majors coupled with unique experiences
like the Wharton Business Plan Competition and the Wharton
Technology Entrepreneurship Internship. Perhaps even more
importantly, I look to benefit from the Wharton environment
-- an environment of boundless innovation. Wharton will give
me the opportunity to apply the theory, models and techniques
I learn in the classroom to the real world. I intend to join
the 'entrepreneurs club' and ‘consulting club’,
which will not only help me form lifelong friendships with
fellow students, but also give me exposure to top consulting
firms and successful entrepreneurs. I would be proud to be
a part of the Women in Business club and contribute to the
125 years of women at Penn.
After five years of business experience, I believe that I
am ready to take the next step toward my dream of being an
entrepreneur. I also am confident that I am ready to participate
actively as a member of the incoming Wharton class. At this
point I am looking to gain the requisite skills and relationships
to grow as a professional; I know that Wharton is the right
place for me to accomplish this objective.
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